Dave Franklin
Musician, scribbler, historian, gnostic, seeker of enlightenment, asker of the wrong questions, delver into the lost archives, fugitive from the law of averages, blogger, quantum spanner, left footed traveller, music journalist, zenarchist, freelance writer, reviewer and gemini. People have woken up to worse.
Album Premiere: Thunderbird Lodge – The Flavor That Kills (reviewed by...
Rock music is not generally known for having much to say, at least little in the way of the poignant and the profound. It...
On Reality – Tabitha Zu (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
We live in an age of nostalgia. A time when tribute bands rule the grass roots roost, where iconic bands are reforming to cover...
Please Don’t Make Me Come Back From the Moon – E....
It is quite timely to find this latest release from E.G. Phillips drop just as the Artemis II moon flights are hitting the headlines. And if the 1969...
Kielder Water Music – Dan Moore (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
If there is a place that perfectly typifies where sound and psychogeography meet, where music attempts to encapsulate the idea of a place, is...
Skin on Fire – Camille Baziadoly (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
While perceived wisdom suggests that the opening track of any album needs to grab the listener fairly quickly, that doesn't mean an artist has...
Freedom – Margaret Hermant (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
The worlds of classical and electronic music, of traditional orchestral sound and digital creativity, might seem, to some, to be at opposite ends of...
Hope To Hell – The Gated Community (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Music has always been a powerful tool, a voice for important issues, to provoke thoughts, spark dialogue, and make your opinion heard. The fact...
Tragedy on Market Street – Untold River (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Hear the term singer-songwriter and many people will think of those old seventies icons, or, if their thoughts turn to something more contemporary, a more...
No Dissociation – Tim Hort (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
As you listen to the opener of this latest album from Tim Hort, a double no less, you get a glimpse of the complex...
Album Premiere: First Light – Dark Pale (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Progressive rock has, for some at least, been a much-maligned genre, often conjuring images of keyboard players dressed as wizards, songs about taking rings...
Mallorca 360: Ambient Wonders (Original Soundtrack) – Franco Esteve (reviewed by...
Music without lyrics is always an intriguing proposition. All too often, words guide the listener directly to the artist's intended meaning, leaving little room...
Bloom – Lady Nade (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
“Bloom” is a much-needed message of hope and support in a world where it is easy to be dazed by the speed at which...
Kaleidoscope – Michael Lazar (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
If you are going to make pop music, you might as well dive right in and embrace everything the genre has to offer. And...
Down at the Polystereophonic Dive Bar – Greg Roensch (reviewed by...
The fact that Greg Roensch is, as well as a singer-songwriter, also a poet, a fiction writer, and a filmmaker, makes perfect sense when you listen...
The Mountain Lion – Merwulf (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
There is a wonderful swirl of contradictions at the heart of “The Mountain Lion,” the new single from Merwulf, a blend of juxtapositions and a jumble...
adreamwithinadream – ru·is (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
With a title such as "adreamwithinadream," you will probably have some idea as to what awaits you when you drop the needle on this...
On E Street (Remix) – DownTown Mystic (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Now, I’m not for one second saying that just because you happen to have Mr. Garry W. Tallent and The Mighty Max Weinberg as your engine room, you...
Lamentations – Crescent (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Okay, we’ve been here before, and without wanting to repeat myself, I love the blend of forward-thinking indie know-how and slightly acid-laced hippy-psych reverie...
Oh Me Oh My – Danny Django (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Taken from his current album, his sixth to date, The Peach Orchard Field, “Oh Me Oh My” is the perfect proof that there are still...
Getting Out (Good as It Gets) – The Muster Point Project...
Sometimes, you have to say, “enough is enough. “. Sometimes, you have to walk away. Sometimes you have to look at how you are being...
I’m No Longer Afraid of Heights – Sungaze (reviewed by Dave...
Even before I checked out the band’s blurb, just listening to the opening bars made me think of Mazzy Star, so I wasn’t surprised to see...
Weight of the World – Eddie Cohn (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
There is something that Eddie Cohn does better than much of the competition: layering. He clearly understands that impact doesn’t always need to come from the...
Make Fear Work For You – Monique Grimme ft. Sapphire Star...
The inspiration for a song can often be found in the most unexpected places. It can be found in the most everyday events or...
I’d Rather Fly – Soft as Hell (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
The difference between song and soundscaping isn't always that much. Yes, on one side, you have pieces of music that feel filmic, wide-screen and...
Midnight Sun – Witty Tarbox (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
If you are one of those people who likes their music in neat boxes, demarcated and sorted, tied up with a neat generic ribbon...
Above the Roof & In the Tree – Zegovia (reviewed by...
You have to love a song that wastes no time in getting on with the job at hand, especially when the job at hand...
Hidden Power – Euplasia (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
The phrase power pop both says exactly what it is in those two words and yet, as a genre, remains a broad and varied affair. And...
Stranger Than Fiction: A short chat with The Flavor That Kills...
With a new album, Thunderbird Lodge, on the way, I sat down and caught up with The Flavor That Kills guitarist, singer, and lyricist Ryan Corcoran, to find...
Peasants Of The Show – The Casbahs (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
The thing I love about this Durhamite 5-piece, one of the many things, is their ability to write songs that already feel like classics....
Firefly – BLOCK (reviewed by Dave Franklin)
Songs are written for so many different reasons, perhaps for as many reasons as there are individual thoughts and life experiences to be had....
